[print_link] | Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the UglyIn this week’s football review section we look back at some of the big stories from the world of football to help learners of English improve their vocabulary. This week we congratulate those countries who have made it to next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil, look at why both Ireland and Mexico fired their coaches and wonder what happened to Cape Verde’s World Cup qualification chances. You can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below.
This week’s football review
Good
Congratulations to Argentina, the USA, Costa Rica, Holland and Italy who all qualified for the 2014 World Cup finals that will take place in Brazil next summer after last week’s latest set of qualifiers. They join four teams from Asia – Australia, Korea, Iran and Japan as well as the hosts Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals. Good news also for Belgium, Spain and Russia who all took giant steps towards qualification, while Jordan made the play-offs as the fifth best team in Asia and Ethiopia were one of ten sides from Africa to make it to the final knock-out stages that will determine the five African spots in the finals.
Bad
Not so good for teams such as the Republic of Ireland and Mexico as both their managers lost their jobs after poor performances in the recent World Cup qualifiers. Though neither side are mathematically out of the competition it is almost certain that the Irish will not be in Brazil next year, while Mexico may suffer the ignominy of not making it out of the CONCACAF region for the first time since 1990. Giovanni Trapatonni left the Irish team by mutual consent as he appeared to have lost the support of the Irish fans after two poor defeats against their direct rivals. Mexico also lost twice – at home against Honduras and away to their bitter rivals the USA.
Ugly
Very bad news for the team from Cape Verde who have been kicked out of the World Cup qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player. This means that their place in the final play-offs in Autumn will be taken by Tunisia and although the Cape Verde Federation still has a chance to appeal it looks as though they will have to wait a little longer to try and qualify for their first ever finals.
Vocabulary
took giant steps: Moved closer towards playing in the finals
will determine: Will decide
are mathematically out of the competition: Their is still a possibility of qualification
suffer the ignominy: The shame
by mutual consent: Both parties agreed on this decision
kicked out of: Eliminated
fielding: Playing or choosing
ineligible player: Illegal player
